The payment slip with a QR code

The old paper payment slips are no longer accepted by banks or Swiss Post. They were replaced by a payment section printed at the bottom of the invoice, with a square QR code in the centre, a Swiss cross in the middle and all payment information written out alongside it.

The principle remains the same: the payer receives a document that can be used as-is to settle the amount due. The difference is that there is no longer a separate form to order or have printed by the bank.

The QR code encodes the creditor and full address, the IBAN or QR-IBAN, amount, currency, debtor and, where applicable, the structured reference. The receipt on the left repeats the same information in human-readable form, while the right-hand section contains the code itself.

The document remains valid without an amount, for example for a donation or an open deposit. In that case, the amount field is left blank and the payer completes it when making the payment.

The QR-IBAN is a separate number from your usual IBAN and can be recognised by its institution identification number between 30000 and 31999. It appears in e-banking, often in a section for incoming payments, or can be requested from your bank. It is used only for incoming payments with a structured reference.

A standard IBAN is sufficient in most situations. The structured reference is mandatory only if you use a QR-IBAN. In that case, each invoice must carry its own reference or the payment will be rejected.

The easiest option is the banking app: scanning the code fills in the payment, so you only need to check the amount and confirm. In desktop e-banking, most banks accept a photo or a file of the document.

Payment is also possible at a post office counter with the printed document, or by standing order if the same amount recurs every month.

Three situations occur frequently: a missing structured reference when a QR-IBAN is used, an IBAN that does not match the account shown in plain text, and an incomplete creditor address. The code may be read, but the bank then rejects the transaction.

A simple check before sending is to scan the code yourself with your banking app without confirming the payment. If the screen shows the correct details and amount, the document can be used.